Adverstisement Practices and Its Effects on People

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Advertisement practices and its different effects on people have always been controversial. Most people in our Western culture tend to be highly influenced by the different kinds of media; including television, magazines, ads, and beauty campaigns. Western women, specifically, appear to be the most affected by both implicit and explicit qualifications of beauty portrayed by media. Tiggemann and McGill argue that the sociocultural theory provides an accurate representation of the different effects that beauty ideals have on women, such as body dissatisfaction, and disordered dietary habits. Furthermore, the authors argue that this theory “maintains that current societal standards for beauty inordinately emphasize the desirability of thinness, and thinness at a level impossible for many women to achieve by healthy means” (23.) As a result, women develop obsessive behaviors towards attractiveness, body image, weight, and diets. This is why some action concerning delusive advertisement practices should be taken. “Love Your Body” campaign by Victoria’s Secret is one of the many examples of beauty campaigns that have negative effects on women. This campaign was introduced in 2010 to promote the new brassiere collection of the Victoria’s Secret lingerie line. Campaign marketers advocate that this campaign aims to encourage Western women, and boost their self-confidence and self-esteem. Nevertheless, most women do not perceive Love Your Body this way. Even though many argue the campaign has numerous positive effects, its outcome is not strictly positive. Instead of promoting body diversity and self-acceptance by including women with different body shapes, the campaign only promotes incredibly attractive women with bodies that seem impossi... ... middle of paper ... ...ommission and specifically the Bureau of Consumer Protection should take action regarding the portrayal of beauty by advertisers and beauty campaigns. After determining where to start, the Bureau of Consumer Protection should discuss the standards to be set. Some can include, for example, the inclusion of women of all sizes (from 0 to 12), all races and ethnicities and from different age groups. In addition, some kinds of punishments (such as sanctions, or fines) should be put in place to penalize those companies/organizations that do not obey these laws. By laying down regulations like the ones mentioned aboved, the Bureau of Consumer Production can ensure that beauty campaigns are more balanced and rational. Finally, by ensuring more inclusive advertisement practices, the Federal Trade Comission will protect Western women’s both physical and psychological health.

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